Monochrome Water
by YuGiOh-Lover25
Summary: SEASON 2 OF THE QUEEN AND HER KNIGHT! Kazumi is back in action, fighting to survive and seal up the Originators. But more things are bound to happen, such as more enemies, friends, and even her soul getting trapped in her brother's body! It'll be a ride to truly remember! ConrartxOC
1. Grave Departure

_Everything seemed to run in slow motion. The sword flew down at me, and all I saw was red as my scream ripped through the area._

"_That was Kazumi!" Wolfram shouted, gasping as he looked at the direction of the scream. Conrart, Wolfram and Murata had been freed from their bindings when she ran off, and they were in pursuit on their horses. Conrart wasted no time; he immediately began galloping in the direction of the scream. He only prayed he wasn't too late. Wolfram and Murata galloped after him, arriving at the spot to see nothing but a large pool of blood and her sword lying on the ground. Conrart stood there, looking down at the pool of blood with a horrified expression. He knelt, looking like he was trying to reach for the blood, but grabbed the sword, holding it in his hands. He grit his teeth, inhaling._

"_KAZUMI!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, praying she would hear the shout and yell out to him in return. But no other sound resonated from the area except for the heavy rain that began to fall._

Chapter 1

Grave Departure

**Conart**

"You did what?" yelled Gwendal as his fist suddenly connected with Conrart's face, sending the man staggering back. Conrart winced in pain, trying to maintain his bearings.

"Conrad!" Yuri yelled, rushing to his side. He'd managed to regain consciousness after he'd passed out during Kazumi's attack, and was standing shakily by Conrart's side. Wolfram and Murata stood there, looking down at the ground sadly. Gwendal had completely gone bonkers when Conrart had informed him sadly that Kazumi had been attacked and was now missing. Gwendal shook, trying to control his anger so he wouldn't accidentally kill his younger brother. He sighed, his hands clenched into fists.

"So you found blood and her sword? We have no way of knowing if the blood is truly hers, but what I do know is that we can't let them get away! Close off all the ports! I don't want a single ship entering or leaving!" Gwendal commanded, his men quickly running off. He turned back to look at Conrart who was still looking down at the ground, his cheek bright red from where he'd made contact earlier.

"I don't have time to punish you all for your foolish actions. Help me rescue Her Majesty, or wallow in self-pity. The choice is yours" Gwendal stated, turning and walking quickly to his desk. He grabbed his feather quill and began writing a note furiously quick. He folded it up, grabbing one of his messenger pigeons and placed it in the small bag, sending the bird flying. He turned, quickly walking to the door.

"Brother! What are our plans now to save Kazumi?" Wolfram asked, stopping Gwendal at the door. Gwendal turned to look at them.

"I'm having scouts patrol the area, closing off all the roads, and locking down the dock. These bastard's aren't getting away with her, not if I can help it!" Gwendal stated, walking out the door. Wolfram ran after him, leaving Conrart, Yuri and Murata standing in the room.

"Lord Weller, if you don't mind me saying, you seem down… You should be using your longing to see her safe as your resolve to find her!" Ken stated, walking to him. Conrart turned, giving him a weak smile in return.

"Thank you… but I deserved what I got from Gwendal. I never should've taken her out like that with just one patrol unit – not with assassins after her. What if they killed her, or gravely injured her again? How could I live with myself?" Conrart asked, his hand clenching around his arm tightly. Yuri growled suddenly, smacking Conrart harshly on the back of the head.

"Sitting here like this won't change anything! If you sit here, then she's as good as dead! If you get up, there's at least a chance she'll survive! If you truly love her, you'll get up and search the ends of the earth for her!" Yuri shouted, making Conrart blink at him, stunned into silence. Ken even looked silently shocked, both their eyes considerably wide. Conrart then frowned in determination.

"You're right! Let's go!" he shouted, running out behind Gwendal as both Yuri and Ken followed behind him. They caught up to Gwendal quickly.

"Surround the perimeter! I want all roads in the next five towns closed immediately and all docks shut down! Not a single ship enters or leaves! Send out our naval ships; stop any ships within a 50,000-meter distance off the shore! Inspect everything from top to bottom; make sure Her Majesty is found!" Gwendal shouted, turning to each of his men. They saluted, quickly running off.

"Gwendal! We're going to help! Just tell us what we can do!" Conrart stated, arriving with the others. Gwendal looked at them, frowning in thought.

"Conrart, lead the patrol on the dock. Yuri, you lead the search through the woods. Your Eminence, I want you looking at these maps and telling me what would be the most logical thing to do in the enemy's position. Wolfram, you're in charge of the roadblocks. Everyone report to me. Let's move!" Gwendal stated, earning nods from everyone. Everyone ran off to do their selected task, praying that one of them would find the assassins.

**Kazumi**

My entire body hurt. What happened again? As I struggled to open my eyes, I realized one of them wasn't opening. I lifted my hand, touching my left eye when I felt a bandage placed on it. I looked down, seeing more bandages wrapped around my torso. I was also shirtless, and when I say that, I mean my jacket, shirt and bra. Great… Just who'd stripped me nude again? Better yet, where was I? As I looked around, the door opened and a woman stepped in. I blinked in shock, seeing she looked about middle aged, a little plump, but not fat, wearing an old dress. She was beautiful for someone of her age, and I could see a lot of kindness on her face. She held a tray with a bowl of what looked like soup on it.

"You're finally awake. I must say, you gave me quite a scare. There was a sudden knocking on the door and when I opened it, I found you unconscious on the floor, completely covered in blood and injuries. I'm still wondering how you survived your attackers for so long with all the blood you lost." she stated, sitting on the edge of the bed. She placed the tray on my lap, placing the spoon down with a smile.

"I'm just glad you're awake and seem fairly okay." She said thankfully, tilting her head in a fairly cute way.

"I'm sorry for scaring you… Assassins were chasing me and they managed to take away my blade, so they made quick work of slicing at me. I guess they thought they'd finished the job or something after dragging me away for quite a while, so they dumped me. I managed to crawl a little, but I don't recall making it to your doorstep." I replied, giving her a thankful smile.

"You must've been running on pure adrenaline. You're very lucky at having made it here; otherwise you would've died. If you don't mind me asking, dearie, may I know your name? I'm Gloria." she asked. I gave her a smile.

"Gloria huh? Thank you for saving me. I'm Kazumi" I replied, seeing her gasp in shock.

"By glory, when you say assassins were after you, your hair and eyes are black, and your name's Kazumi, are you by any chance the Demon Queen? Our Demon Queen?" Gloria asked, looking amazed. I looked a little hesitant, unsure if I should tell her or not, but nodded. She smiled, nodding in understanding.

"I understand now. I'll let the first patrol officer I see know you're here." Gloria stated, urging me to begin eating the soup. I thanked her for the food, picking up the spoon and began eating. The soup, which was made from a variety of vegetables and gravy, tasted absolutely heavenly.

**Blood Pledge Castle**

Hisako sighed, sitting on the bed in her 'Kazumi' disguise, waiting for the assassins to go after her. It had been too long and they weren't making their move. They couldn't have realized what was happening and had gone after her, had they? Just as she was thinking this, the door burst open and Gunter came rushing in.

"It's terrible, Your Eminence! The assassins! They got Her Majesty while they were on their way to Gwendal and Yuri! What do we do?" Gunter cried out, going into hysteria. Hisako stood, glaring.

"I knew it! Things were too quiet to begin with! Keep the castle on high alert! They may use this opportunity of confusion to attack our country! Don't let anyone lose track of what their true goal is! Our goal is to keep the castle safe for when Kazumi returns! Now move it!" Hisako shouted, looking deadly serious. Gunter blinked in shock, having being stunned out of his hysteria. He nodded, becoming just as serious. He rushed out, doing what he was ordered.

Hisako turned to look at the window, her expression serious. She walked to the window, placing a hand on the glass.

"Is this all part of your scheme? I'll warn you now, I've taken a liking to Kazumi, and I won't let her get killed…" Hisako stated, her voice as cold as ice.

**Kazumi**

I managed to sleep for a little when the door opened. I opened my eye, seeing Gloria standing there. She was smiling sweetly at me.

"I saw a patrol officer and informed him you were here. He's gone to go alert his superior and then they'll come and get you. Until then, get some rest." Gloria stated, closing the door. As I closed my eyes, about to drift off again, I heard knocking on the door. I tossed the blankets away, pulling myself up into a painful sit. I grabbed my bloodstained shirt, putting my arms through, and stood. I was going to begin walking to the door to see who it was when I suddenly heard Gloria scream. I froze, my blood freezing in my veins. They found me again! Instead of going to that door, I grabbed my jacket, slinging it over my shoulder, and pulled the window open. I jumped out, landing painfully on the ground, and closed the window. I rose to my feet, taking off in a sprint.

I had to get away. I couldn't let Gloria's death be in vain. She didn't save my life just to have me die by the assassins! I had to make sure I survived! As I continued running, I gasped, seeing a familiar face. Well, a bunch of them actually. Gwendal, Conrart, Wolfram and Yuri were running towards me with a bunch of soldiers.

"Guys!" I yelled, seeing them notice me.

"Your Majesty!" Gwendal yelled, looking relieved.

"We have to go help Gloria! She's in the house with assassins on her own! She's risking her life to protect me! Please help her!" I shouted. Wolfram and Yuri gasped, unsheathing their swords and running to the house. Conrart had run to me, hugging me gently. He looked down, noticing my injuries.

"You're hurt." he stated, placing a hand on my cheek, near my injured eye.

"Yeah, but Gloria took care of me. Please, we have to go back" I pleaded. Conrart sighed, looking back at Gwendal. Gwendal sighed, nodding. I smiled, running behind Conrart and in front of Gwendal. When we reached the entrance to the house, I gasped, frozen in horror. Multiple assassins lay dead on the floor, and an injured Gloria sat in the corner, holding her pan in her hand.

"Gloria!" I shouted, seeing her look at me.

"Your Majesty! Run!" she shouted, standing and running to me. I gasped, wondering what had caused her to become so panicked. I turned, seeing one of the cloaked assassins behind me. I gasped, feeling everything begin to go in slow motion. As the assassin threw his knife in my direction, a mop of brown, long curls covered my vision. I felt my whole body freeze as I processed what had just happened. I felt my heart beat rapidly in my head, loud and pulsing. My anger boiled over, and next thing I knew, I was screaming loudly into the night sky. My body began to feel warm as I felt my consciousness fade out. A blue glow covered me as lightning shot from the sky, striking the ground loudly.

I lifted my head to glare at the remaining assassins. My eyes had become slits and my hair was dancing in invisible flames. Tears were still falling on my expressionless face.

"Men of human country, you have crossed the line. Not only do you enter my country uninvited, but you also attempt to murder me, the icon and symbol of the Great Demon Kingdom. And if not to make matters worse, you then go and kill someone dear, who only tried to help others. I shall make you all pay!" my voice shouted from the sky. Lightning fell down, striking the assassin in front of me. The other assassins that had been hiding were also struck down by lightning. Their bodies fell from their hiding spots, littering the ground.

When I was sure all the assassins had been taken care of, I knelt down, lifting Gloria into my arms. She struggled to open her eyes.

"Your… Majesty… You've changed… You're even more… beautiful… Like an angel… I guess… I'm blessed… after all…" Gloria stated, her voice shaking. Her wounds were bad, and there was unfortunately no hope of saving her. More tears fell from my eyes on my expressionless face.

"My dear child of the Great Demon Kingdom, you have done a great service indeed. As the Demon Queen, I thank you from the bottom of my heart… I pray for your soul's return to this world one day." my voice said through the sky. Gloria smiled gently.

"Knowing that… I can… sleep easy… Thank you… So much…" Gloria thanked, her voice growing weaker as her eyes closed and her head rolled back. Everyone else looked away sadly as a downpour of rain washed over the land, as if mourning Gloria. When my consciousness returned, I didn't pass out. Instead, my eyes welled with more tears. I hugged Gloria closer to myself, burying my face in her dark brown curls. My sobs and screams for Gloria echoed through the town for a good half an hour. During that time, other villagers had stepped out their homes into the freezing rain, crying and mourning for Gloria.

The next day, I stood there with Conrart, Wolfram, Ken, Gwendal, Yuri, and all the villagers. We stood in front of a small cross standing in the ground. The village elder was chanting a sutra of some kind, sending Gloria's soul into the afterlife. I looked down, a small smile on my face as tears streamed down from my already red eyes.

"Goodbye, Gloria… Until we meet again." I said, smiling up at the sky as I swore I saw her smiling down at me. I looked startled for a second, but smiled back. Thank you, I would never forget your sacrifice. You didn't even know me, and yet you risked your life, sacrificing it in the end, in order to save mine. And in the process, all the assassins had been eliminated. If not for Gloria, I would've surely died yesterday.

"Your Majesty… We should return to the castle now. Gunter is probably still panicking due to the fact that I haven't sent him a letter, informing him of the situation yet" Gwendal stated. I giggled, nodding, but turned to smile one last time at the grave.

"I have to go now, Gloria. Goodbye!" I gave my farewell before running after Gwendal. The others saluted to Gloria's grave, then began running after Gwendal and me. We had a fairly harsh journey back, and my wounds still weren't healed yet.


	2. Oracle of Mysteries

Chapter 2

Oracle of Mysteries

**Kazumi**

When we finally arrived at the castle, Gunter gave me his famous hug, now dubbed 'The Gunter Squeeze' according to Conrart.

"Oh, Your Highness, I was so very worried. The moment I heard from Gwendal that you were attacked and were missing, I felt my heart stop! If it hadn't been for Her Eminence, the castle would've been in an utter mess. Thank the heavens you've been returned to us at last!" Gunter exclaimed, not noticing I was trying to refrain from hitting him. He was squeezing me a little too tightly and my injuries were hurting. He hadn't even noticed the huge bandage on my eye, nor the multiple ones around my wrists and chest. Gisela did though.

"Oh my goodness! Kazumi! What happened to your face?" she exclaimed, making Gunter pull me away to examine me. He gasped in horror, brushing my hair away from my face.

"Who dared to scar to royal face? I'll have them hung for their crime!" Gunter exclaimed dramatically angry. I sighed, turning to give Gisela a smile as she appeared at my side.

"This way; follow me. Let me examine your injuries." Gisela stated, dragging me away behind her. Thankfully Gunter didn't follow, he just stood there, proclaiming angrily to no one that he'd punish them, even though they were all dead.

I sat on the chair Gisela had put me on then took off my jacket and shirt so she could examine me. Thankfully the boys had stayed outside, and I heard them mention they were going to look for Hisako.

"Greta's been waiting patiently for your return. You should go see her after this, she'd love to see you." Gisela stated with a smile as she changed the bandages on my injuries while making sure they didn't get infected. I nodded, feeling happy at the fact that I'd get to see Greta again. She really was like a little angel.

"Alright, nothing seems infected. It seems your wounds were treated with excellent care. Who treated you? Conrart?" Gisela asked. I felt my smile fall instantly.

"No… It was a kind village woman who found me on her doorstep… Gloria… She died… Protecting me from my attackers a few hours later" I replied, hearing Gisela gasp. She looked down sadly, putting a hand gently on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry… Did you two become friends?" Gisela asked, looking at me sympathetically.

"Yeah, we did… She was a sweet lady, I think all of the villagers loved her…" I answered, turning to give her a weak smile. She returned one back at me, helping me change into clean clothes. Another copy of my school uniform, but at least it was comfy.

"I'll let you go see Greta now" Gisela stated, waving goodbye as I exited the room, walking down the halls. My chest was aching painfully due to the cream Gisela had put on, and my eye felt like it was being clawed out, but at least I was able to walk, even if it was small steps. When I ran out the house to find Conrart and the others the night before, I didn't recall being in this much pain. As I stepped out into the courtyard, Greta came running up to me, giggling happily.

"Mummy!" she called out, hugging my legs. I smiled down at her, patting her head gently. She looked up at me, giggling.

"Mummy! Mummy! Daddy said we're going to some hot springs! All three of us! This will be fun!" Greta exclaimed, letting me go and twirling around happily. I looked up at Conrart, who was walking to us with a smile on his face.

"Hot springs?" I asked, tilting my head in curiosity. Conrart chuckled.

"Yes, they're in human territory, but it's one of the few areas that are still in league with the Great Demon Kingdom. We have constant business trading with it. Their hot springs are legendary for their healing powers. My father had a mortal wound and he drank a cup of water from this hot spring, and it saved his life apparently. And when I'd gotten badly injured during my training in the army, I went to the hot spring and in three days I was even better than before. I think it'll work some wonders on your wounds." Conrart explained, brushing the hair from my bandaged eye. I smiled, giggling happily.

"Alright then, when do we leave?" I asked, seeing Gwendal approach us from behind.

"Right away. You deserve some time to bond as a family, and you wouldn't be able to get your work done in your current condition anyway. But before the three of you leave, His Eminence and Her Eminence want us all at the Tomb of the Great One." Gwendal explained, beginning to walk to the carriage that was waiting for us. I stepped in, with Gwendal and Conrart following behind me. Yuri, Gunter, Wolfram and Hisako hopped on horses beside us and we made our way to the Tomb of the Great One.

The Tomb was very different from what I'd imagined. For a start, the only people allowed in were women, with Murata being the only exception because he's part of the Great Wiseman of Double Black. Talk about a harem, even when he's dead. As I thought this, a small girl approached me. She had incredibly long silver hair and dark purple eyes.

"Your Majesty, it is truly an honor. I am Ulrike, High Priestess who communicates with the Great One" she stated, bowing a little. I smiled down at her.

"Wow, High Priestess? You're pretty young for someone so accomplished in life" I stated, hearing Conrart clear his throat. I blinked at him in confusion.

"Thank you for saying so, Your Majesty. But I feel I must inform you that I am over eight-hundred-years-old." Ulrike stated, making me yelp in fright. I regretted that and winced, clutching my chest in my hand as I tried to regulate my breathing.

"Your Highness?" Ulrike asked, looking worried. I let go of my jacket, giving her a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine… Just a little beat up. I'll heal." I replied, seeing Ulrike sigh in relief. She smiled at me, looking almost like an adorable little child.

"That must've been when your light almost went out. It's very fortunate that that woman was there to help you" Ulrike stated, making me blink in confusion.

"Wait… How do you know about Gloria?" I asked, raising a brow. Ulrike merely smiled, turning and issuing for us to follow her. I followed after her, trying to ignore the agony in my chest. We entered the main room that Ulrike did her praying to the Great One in. On a stone podium was a large crystal ball. It was black except for a couple really big, bright lights that resembled stars. Ulrike turned to look at us once she'd reached the crystal ball.

"I am the one entrusted with guiding you to this world when you travel between here and Earth, and this shining light here is you. The one right next to it is your brother Yuri, and then these colored ones off to the side are His and Her Eminences. When you were on the verge of death, your star was so very dulled." Ulrike explained, giving me a sympathetic look. I just returned a smile to her.

"I see, but if you don't mind my asking, why were we called here? What was so urgent it required all our presences?" I asked, seeing Ulrike smile gently at us all.

"Good question. His Eminence would like to discuss something important with all of you." Ulrike explained, stepping back as Murata and Hisako stepped forward, serious expressions on their faces.

"Kazumi… You know that black mist that attacked at the festival?" Murata asked, making me gasp. I instantly didn't like this conversation. I looked down, remembering when I'd gone berserk and tried to kill them all.

"Yeah, I remember…" I muttered, feeling all eyes on me. I wanted to shrink away into a little hole.

"That was a part of the originators. You remember them from your studies, correct?" Hisako asked. I looked up, nodding. At least the subject had no chance of going to when I'd attacked them all now.

"The Originators were sealed away into the floors of four different sacred bodies of water. It's unknown even to me, which lakes and oceans these are, but one of them must have cracked. That's the only explanation for part of the originators escaping and attacking us." Murata finished explaining. I blinked, taking in what he'd said.

"But… if these seals on the ocean floors are cracking, what are we going to do?" I asked, seeing Hisako giggle.

"That's where you come in. You need to seal the cracks back up! Think of it as stuffing a blanket into an already filled closet! You compress it down and then slam the door shut!" Hisako explained. I raised a brow in disbelief. That was a pretty simple comparison, but was it actually that easy?

"Of course you won't be able to do any sealing until your injuries are healed of course. Go on your vacation, heal up, and when you get back, we'll have hopefully pinpointed the crack and then we can begin the sealing!" Murata finished, both of them smiling almost cunningly at me. I felt a sense of dread wash over me. If I failed, would I just end up breaking the seal? My magic also wasn't as easy to access as I wanted either.

"You'll be fine, sis! Remember, I'm training to be your knight, so I can protect you at all times! Go get better, and then I'll make sure nothing ever hurts you again!" Yuri stated, trying to encourage me. He must have felt my sense of dread.

"Kazumi? We should get going. Greta's waiting for us and so is the ship." Conrart stated, putting a hand on my shoulder as he began leading me away and out the Tomb of the Great One. I remained silent, staring at the floor as I let him lead me out. Conrart definitely noticed this.

"Kazumi? Are you afraid?" he asked, his hand gently squeezing my shoulder as he pulled me closer to him. I sighed sadly, leaning into him as we continued walking. The carriage stood outside, waiting for us. Once both of us were in and we had picked up Greta and our luggage, the carriage began taking us to the port. Greta was excited, sitting on the other side of me and hugging me gently while Conrart's arm was wrapped over my shoulder. He kept glancing down at me worriedly.

"Try not to think about the ritual so much. His and Her Eminence will walk you through it, so it won't fail. Have a little faith in them and in yourself." Conrart stated, leaning down and kissing the top of my head. I sighed, leaning my head on his chest as my arms wrapped around Greta, pulling her closer for a hug. She giggled contently, her head resting near my left breast, listening to my heartbeat. I felt my eyes get heavy as the slow, rocking rhythm of the coach lulled me to sleep.

**Conrart**

"Daddy? Mummy's fallen asleep." Greta stated, snapping me back to reality. I glanced down at her and then looked down at Kazumi who had fallen asleep half on me. Greta was still wrapped up in her arms, but she was looking directly up at me. I smiled gently, patting her head with my spare arm. She giggled in response happily.

"I know. Mummy's very tired. She needs her sleep to recover. Otherwise, she won't be healthy again. Let's let her sleep, shall we?" I asked, seeing Greta nod as she maneuvered herself out of Kazumi's embrace and sat herself on my lap. She looked up at me, giggling as she grabbed my spare arm, wrapping it around her so I was hugging the both of them to me. I couldn't help but let the smile form on my face. I had never thought I would end up with a fiancée or wife, or children of my own, but it happened. It happened even quicker than I expected.

"Daddy? Are you tired too?" Greta asked, giving me a worried look. I smiled gently down at her.

"No, I'm just grateful. I'm grateful to have your mother and you. Are you looking forward to going to the hot springs?" I asked, seeing Greta nod happily.

"Hot springs! Yay! Um… what're hot springs?" Greta asked, making me snicker quietly.

"Greta, hot springs are warm, bubble baths." I explained as best I could to someone of her age. She giggled in response, cheering happily. It really was adorable, seeing her get so excited for hot springs.

Once the carriage arrived at the harbor, a guard opened the door as Greta jumped out happily. I glanced down at Kazumi, seeing her unconscious against my arm. I smiled, picking her up carefully in my arms, and exited the coach. The guard looked worried for a second, but my smile must've washed away any fears he had. Greta ran up the ramp, jumping around in the ship happily. I followed suit, seeing her spin around, giggling.

"Yay! Big boat!" she exclaimed. I smiled again. She really did brighten our lives up so much. Greta hugged my leg tightly, looking up at me with an innocent smile, then ran off again. She began chatting with the soldiers and sailors on the ship happily, making them all laugh and smile.

"She really is almost like a little angel, isn't she?" asked a voice and I smiled instantly upon hearing it. I looked down, seeing Kazumi watching Greta dance with one of the sailors on the deck.

"She really is looking forward to this trip." I stated, seeing Kazumi smile up at me. I held her closer to me in my arms, knowing that was as tight as I could hold her without hurting her. I wanted to do so much more than just that though. I wanted to kiss her, show her how much I truly was in love with her, but not with these injuries she had. I would just end up hurting her.

"Mummy! Daddy! Watch me!" Greta shouted, twirling around on one foot for about ten seconds before falling flat on her face. The soldier who was nearby rushed to her immediately, but when Greta sat up, all she did was laugh. The soldier nearly fell to his knees in relief.

"So when does the ship dock?" Kazumi asked. I lowered her down, placing her on her feet. She stood, wincing at the pain in her chest, but she shrugged it off quickly.

"Not util tomorrow morning. So we'd best get our luggage in our rooms." I answered, grabbing our bags of luggage as Greta ran after us quickly. We entered our room, seeing one giant king sized bed. I sighed, knowing this must've been Mother's doing.

"We're… all sleeping on this one bed?" Kazumi asked, her voice twitching a little. Greta jumped on the bed, falling on her back happily.

"It's big enough to fit all of us, but did Mother really need to go to this extreme?" I asked, hearing Kazumi giggle.

"I guess she wants everyone to believe we're a happily married couple with a child…" she stated, sighing at the end.

"Speaking of weddings, when is Lady Celi's and Raven's again?" She asked, turning to look at me. I gave her a smile.

"Next week. Don't worry, you'll be all healed before then. Now, we should probably get to sleep." I explained, seeing Greta falling asleep on the bed already.

By the time we sorted out how we were sleeping, we were already exhausted. Kazumi slept on one side, I slept on the other side, and Greta had plonked herself in the middle. She had also demanded to hold one of our hands in either of hers as well, so Kazumi and I linked our spare hands together over her. This was how we were going to sleep apparently.

"Conrart… I'm scared about the ritual. What if I mess up because I can't use my powers properly?" I heard Kazumi's voice ask from the other side of the bed. I propped myself up a bit, looking at her. She really did look worried. I gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, your powers are incredible. They always answer you when you truly need them, so fear not and focus on getting better first, okay?" I stated, seeing her smile gratefully. Her eyes began closing sleepily, so I lay back down, feeling my own eyes getting heavy. We had a big day ahead of us tomorrow again, so we'd need all the sleep we could get.


	3. The Beginning of the End

Chapter 3

The Beginning of the End

**Kazumi**

When morning came, I slowly walked up to the deck, gasping at the sight I saw. Two familiar people were standing on the deck, arguing as if the entire world didn't exist.

"I told you we should've stayed in the luggage!" Hisako shouted as Wolfram growled back at her.

"What's the point of staying in there? We snuck on board to keep an eye on things, or so you said, now that we're on, we shouldn't need to hide! I can't believe you even dragged me into this!" Wolfram yelled back. I raised a brow in curiosity when I realized something. Why wasn't Wolfram getting seasick? Was it because he was that angry?

"We need to remain in the shadows! Otherwise they'll know we're here!" Hisako yelled back.

"Too late… the entire ship knows already." Conrart stated from behind me, looking at them with an unimpressed expression. I sighed, turning to walk away to the kitchen.

"Uh… Kazumi!" Hisako shouted, about to run after me, but she turned to glare one final time at Wolfram before actually running after me. Conrart continued to look at Wolfram like a parent demanding an explanation from their child. Wolfram merely pouted, looking the other way.

"Well, care to explain your presence on this ship?" Conrart asked, folding his arms over his chest, tapping his foot.

"Blame Hisako… She dragged me on board… And gave me these things called ginger tablets…" Wolfram explained, still not giving Conrart eye contact. Conrart sighed in defeat, looking at the direction I'd left.

"Kazumi! Wait!" Hisako called out, stepping in front of me. I sighed, giving her a weak smile.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to sound normal. I'd really had just too much happen and I didn't want even more stuff getting onto my plate.

"You're not mad we snuck on board?" Hisako asked, tilting her head curiously. I giggled, patting her shoulder.

"I'm not mad, why would I be?" I asked, giggling halfheartedly.

"You really need to let out some of that tension… You're not even yourself anymore…" Hisako stated, looking at me sadly. I sighed, turning and walking into the kitchen.

"You saw, didn't you?" Conrart asked, walking to stand beside Hisako. Hisako sighed, looking up at him.

"She's really out of it… She needs to get all that stress off her shoulders, otherwise she's going to break down." Hisako stated, giving a grim expression. Conrart looked just as worried, sighing.

"Hopefully these hot springs will bounce her back… Otherwise Greta will begin to worry…" Conrart stated, making Hisako nod.

When the ship finally docked and we stepped into the harbor, we were instantly greeted by bright neon lights, music and all different types of people. It honestly reminded me of Las Vegas, with its bright lights, signs, and prostitutes. I looked around, seeing young women of all ages, even underage, trying to pick up men for money. Some even looked about my age, maybe even younger. I shuddered at the mere thought. Greta clung to shirt, looking up at me. I was wearing baggy clothing, my hair was tied up in a big hat and dyed brown, and I had eye contacts in again. I honestly looked a little like a pageboy. Conrart's appearance hadn't changed, neither had Hisako's or Wolfram's. Lucky buggers.

"I guess we're going to have to call you 'Kazu' now, seen as you're supposed to be a boy." Hisako teased and I glared at her with as much evil intent as I could muster. Conrart merely chuckled, earning a glare from me as well.

"Well, shall we go check in at the inn, Hisako?" Wolfram asked, earning a nod from Hisako. The two of them took all of the luggage, walking off to the inn. I blinked, feeling Greta cling to me more, then looked at Conrart. He shrugged his shoulders, then put an arm over my shoulders as we began walking. It really was quite disgusting, seeing just how many prostitutes there were. So many were my age too, human girls my age, selling their body to strange men.

"Mummy, what are those girls doing there?" Greta asked and I gulped, thinking of how I should word it.

"They're job is to talk and make friends with people!" Conrart answered quickly, making me sigh in relief. Greta thought for a few seconds before smiling up at us.

"Kinda like what Mummy does!" she exclaimed, making me gasp, feeling a little sick in my stomach. Not quite, Greta… Conrart merely chuckled, but I could tell it was forced. We continued walking until we reached the famous hot springs.

"Here we are! These are the famous hot springs I was telling you two about." Conrart smiled down at the two of us. I nodded, looking down to see Greta smiling up with so much excitement in her little face. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey there, mister. Wanna go have some fun with us?" asked a female voice and all three of us turned to see two girls, about my age, dressed in ridiculously revealing outfits, approach us. One had shoulder length dark blonde hair with brown eyes; the second had short, curly hair and green eyes. I looked at Conrart then back at them, trying to figure out what they were after.

"I'm sorry, but I must decline your offer. My wife and daughter and I would like to go to the hot springs now." Conrart replied, making my face heat up so badly. Greta giggled, clinging to my arm. The girls looked at me curiously, raising a brow.

"This boy is your wife? Oh my, I'm so sorry, we thought you were his little brother! I had no idea you were his wife!" the blonde stated, gasping and looking shocked when she figured out I was a girl. The other girl giggled.

"She's so flat-chested, you would honestly think she was a page boy!" The other girl said, laughing in a taunting way. I pouted a little. Okay, so I wasn't exactly big busted like all the other girls in my class, but mine were perfect for my frame and size, and besides, you need small breasts to do ballet properly. I bet these girls couldn't even perform a pirouette. Okay, now I was just sounding like a jealous girlfriend. But that's what I was! I am Conrart's girlfriend, his fiancée even, and I am jealous! I'm jealous of the fact that they're trying to pick him up, and I'm jealous of the fact that they have bigger breasts than me too! Geez…

"Mummy? Are we going swimming yet?" Greta asked, making me focus on her instead.

"Not yet, we need to wait for Daddy to say farewell to these girls first. It's rude to simply ignore people." I had suddenly realized how much emphasis I accidentally put on "farewell". I blushed a little, hoping Conrart didn't notice I sounded jealous. I heard him chuckle and I froze, realizing he heard and noticed.

"I'm sorry, but I'm really not interested… We need to be going now." Conrart stated, turning, putting an arm over my shoulder again as we walked into the entrance of the hot springs. I gasped, seeing so many people already relaxing. Greta looked just as mystified.

"Kazu, Greta, you're going to have to wear these swim suits." Conrart stated, handing us matching swim suits. They looked a little like the blue, navy school swimsuits we wore for swimming events. Once Greta and I were changed, I sighed, letting my hair out of the hat and looked in the mirror they had in the change rooms. Good, I looked like a girl now that I was wearing something tight to show my bust. Wait, why did I care what I looked like now? I sighed, not really understanding it. My wounds had sealed up now, but they looked like they could reopen with a bit of force. Greta looked at me worriedly and I realized I still had the eye patch on.

"Oh, forgot about this…" I stated, taking it off and looking in the mirror. The cut was across my eyelid, so I didn't dare open my eye yet. It felt weird, walking out the change rooms with Greta holding my hand tightly, while having one eye closed. I saw Conrart standing there waiting for us, and shuddering in horror at what the male uniform was. It was a monstrosity, a yellow g-string with a horrible long double tipped tail.

"Daddy, what are you wearing? It's ugly…" Greta stated. Ouch, kids could be cruel sometimes. Conrart merely chuckled.

"I know, but it's the uniform men have to wear… I don't really get a choice. Shall we go in?" Conrart stated, agreeing with Greta. Greta cheered happily, running to Conrart and pulling him behind her to the nearest hot spring that had no one in it. I smiled, watching them run, then felt my face heat up. I looked away quickly, avoiding looking at him as the tail lifted up, revealing his backside as he ran after Greta. Awkward.

"Mummy! Come on!" Greta shouted, making me laugh and walk after them. The two of them were in the hot spring already and soaked.

"Alright, alright… I get the hint, Greta!" I stated, walking to the edge and slipping in. It was like a nice warm bath. Greta swam a little, smiling at me happily. I giggled, wading through water, wincing for a few seconds when the water touched my wounds, but reached Greta, pulling her through the water.

"Mummy! I can swim! Watch me!" Greta shouted, letting go of me and beginning to swim off on her own. I stood there, watching her with a content smile on my face.

"This is so relaxing…" I stated calmly, sighing when arms suddenly wrapped around my waist and stomach, pulling me from behind to a strong warmth. I glanced up, seeing Conrart's smiling face looking down at me, his chin resting on the top of my head. His broad chest, muscled arms and body heat made me feel so content I felt like falling asleep.

"Feeling better?" Conrart asked, his grip tight and secure, but being sure not to hurt me. I sighed in content, resting the back of my head on his collarbone.

"Yeah… I'm just a bit lagged from the travel, that's all." I replied, giving him a smile. He smiled back, gently turning me around so I was facing him, my chest pressed up against his. Well, more his stomach actually, considering our height differences. He chuckled, noticing the differences in our heights, then squatted down a little, folding his arms behind me like a chair. I sat on his arms and he stood back up. Suddenly I was taller than him, my knees went to his waist and my chest was near his neck and chin.

"This is pretty high." I stated, giggling a little as he laughed. Greta was swimming around happily, so I focused my attention on Conrart, staring into his eyes. My cheeks began burning a little but I couldn't look away from his gaze. Suddenly his face was mere inches from mine. My cheeks began blazing and my eyes closed a little. Conrart made the connection, connecting our lips and working them against one another. I was still inexperienced in kissing, so I just tried to kiss back to the best of my ability.

My breath kept getting stolen by Conrart, so I took quick inhales through my nose to avoid suffocation. Suddenly something intruded into my mouth. My eyes widened when I realized it was his tongue and I pulled away quickly, blinking at him in shock. He gave me a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry, did I startle you?" he asked, smiling at me. I was expecting him to be hurt at the fact that I'd pulled away so suddenly, but all he did was smile at me. He must have more experience in this department and more patient.

"Mummy! Daddy! Come swim with me!" Greta called out, making us turn to look at her. Conrart lowered me gently, letting me swim to Greta as he followed.

As I sat on the bed, waiting for Conrart, I suddenly realized he wasn't coming. I stood, stepping out the room and looked around for him. He said he might take a bit, but I didn't think he was going to be this long… I peered into Greta's room, seeing her sound asleep in her bed, then looked in the next room to see both Hisako and Wolfram sound asleep as well. Looks like I couldn't ask anyone where he was. Wait, he couldn't have gone back to those girls, could he? He wouldn't be like all those other guys I'd seen in drama movies that go and cheat on their wives while they sleep, could he? No, I had to stop being so unfaithful. Conrart was more loyal than all those men in the movies combined. At least, I think he is…

I shook my head, ridding myself of any more thoughts. I snuck out the inn quickly, putting my hair up in the hat and putting on the baggy jumper so I looked like a boy. I stepped out the inn, closing the door and looked around. You think someone of Conrart's stature would be easy to spot in a place like this, but it was truly like looking for a needle in a haystack. I looked around a bit more, trying not to draw attention to myself, but when I suddenly heard some arguing, I couldn't help myself. I turned, seeing that girl from before with the dark blonde hair, being pulled by some big thug about three times her size.

"Hey! Didn't anyone ever tell you not to hit chicks? Women have rights too, you know?" I shouted, balling my hands into fists. My chest was aching a little from yelling. The girl blinked, looking at me in horror as she realized it was me that had come to her rescue.

"Run! Get away from here! You have to get away!" she suddenly yelled to me, making me blink in confusion. Huh? I thought I was the one saving her while she ran?

"You got a lot of nerve, little man! These women signed away their rights when they got a job with us! They belong to us!" the man stated, laughing when I growled even more.

"Even if they work for you, they still have rights! They should have the right to feel safe in their workplace, otherwise they can put you up in court!" I yelled back, making the guy laugh even more. The girl just looked shocked at the fact that I wasn't running. Or at least, I think that's why she looked shocked. Suddenly the man pushed her down, grabbing the chest area of my jacket and pulling me forward to his face.

"Listen here little man – you're a chick?" the man suddenly shouted, looking shocked when he realized I wasn't completely flat chested. I tried to hide the fear in my eyes at how close we were, but the smirk that filled his face terrified me to my very core.

"You'll do nicely…" he sneered, making me gasp as the blonde girl tackled him down, grabbing my wrist and pulling me along behind her. I struggled to keep up with her, losing my balance a few times.

"Wait! I can't run that fast!" I shouted, losing my balance and crashing on my knees. I panted heavily, looking up at her. She had stopped the moment we'd been pulled apart when I fell, and was looking around desperately. She suddenly grabbed my wrist, pulling us behind a couple trash bags in the alleyway we were in. She covered my mouth so I couldn't make any noise, and we waited in silence as the men ran past. I froze, not even daring to breathe as we heard the men walk past, searching for us.

"They could be anywhere! I want that girl and her new friend found! The new girl will make a fine new prostitute once we break her." the man that had grabbed her said. I gulped, not even wanting to picture what it must have been like for her. Eventually the men ran off to search another area. We both stood and stepped out in the alleyway, sighing in relief.

"Is that what you went through too?" I asked her, seeing her smile at me.

"No, I joined willingly. The place I used to live at had no jobs, no money, and no food, so when I came here, I took the first job I could get. By the way, I haven't even asked you for your name. I'm Iysla, and you?" Iysla asked, offering me her hand. I took it, shaking it.

"I'm Kazumi, but you can call me 'Kazu'. It's kind of the code name I have while I'm here as a boy." I replied, giving her a smile. She smiled back and then suddenly gasped. I turned, seeing one of the men suddenly appear, grabbing me roughly. Another ran around the corner, grabbing Iysla roughly. As I struggled against the man's hold, my hat came flying off, allowing my long hair to fly around. It was still brown, but now it was a definite giveaway that I was a girl.

"Iysla!" I yelled, trying to reach for her as she did the same. We were pulled away from each other, forced to go different directions.

"Kazu!" She shouted back, looking over the man's shoulder as we were taken, forcibly separated, and to receive whatever fate awaited the both of us.


	4. Foul Play

**Conrart**

As I walked through the streets, I glanced around. Where was he? He had sent me a message to meet him in the fortune district. Just where had Ryan disappeared to? I knew he had left the army a while ago, but to do what? I had no idea.

"Hey! Captain!" called out a voice and I turned, seeing Ryan standing there in some white and red tribal outfit. Behind him was a giant black and white panda, a sand bear!

"Ryan, what on earth have you managed to do this time?" I asked, approaching them as the sand bear nuzzled my arm. Ryan laughed, patting the back of his head sheepishly.

"I managed to tame this sand bear. Say 'hi', Keiji!" Ryan stated and the sand bear let out a noise, sounding happy. Ryan laughed, hugging the sand bear. I raised a brow.

"Was there a reason you called me out here?" I asked, seeing Ryan jump back into alert mode.

"Yes sir! I just wanted to warn you, seeing as you brought Her Majesty here, that the crook that owns the casino also owns all the prostitutes in this town. If you're a girl and don't sign up with him, he'll get his men to kidnap girls and break them til' they do as they're told, becoming more prostitutes for him. Keep your eye on Her Majesty at all times!" Ryan stated, giving me a serious expression. I gasped, realizing she was in the inn, and everyone else was asleep. What if someone broke in? She'd be all on her own!

"Thank you, Ryan! I pray we meet again some day!" I shouted, turning and beginning to run back to the inn. I just prayed I wasn't too late to save her if she truly was in danger. As I ran through the back alleys to get to the inn quicker, I heard a woman screaming. I turned the corner quickly, gasping to see the dark blonde girl from earlier. She was being beaten by two big men, triple her size. I unsheathed my sword, stepping forward.

"Is this how women are treated in this country?" I snapped, feeling my gaze hit them like daggers. The men glared, but flinched under my gaze. One took a step back.

"You go get him, man!" the smaller one said, but they both looked at each other and then at my sword, before quickly taking off. The girl was shaking from where she sat against the wall. I sheathed my sword, kneeling by her as I took off my jacket, placing it over her shoulders. She was bruised on her face and on her arms. She took one look at me though and gasped.

"It's you! You're Kazu's husband, right? You have to help her! She tried to help me and they found out she was a girl! They took her away! You have to save her!" she suddenly said, grabbing my shirt and pulling me towards her to look at her eyes. When her words hit my ears, my blood turned to ice. I was already too late! They had taken her! I grabbed her wrists, pulling her to her feet.

"Can you lead me there? We have to save her!" I asked, seeing her nod. She slipped her arms into the sleeves of my jacket and we began running towards the casino.

**Kazumi**

I was suddenly pushed onto a bed. I looked around for a few seconds, but let out a scream as my jacket was torn away from me. The man that had taken me was chuckling, tossing the jacket away. I looked up at him in fear, my breathing becoming erratic from how stressed I was. What was he going to do? I didn't like the look in his eyes.

"What have you caught today?" asked an old man and I gasped, seeing him walk up, a satisfied smile on his face. The big man turned to look at him, nodding to him.

"I caught a pretty good one today. She was disguised as a boy, but she tried to help Iysla, and that's how I found out she was a girl. She's got a good scream on her, and her body shape looks pretty good too." the man said, making the old man chuckle. I mustered a glare at the old man, but gasped when I saw what was on his shoulder. It was a lobster; he actually had lobster on his shoulder like any normal person would have a parrot or something. The man then got off the bed and walked off with the old man. I sat myself up, looking around in fear. Just where was I anyway? I stood from the bed, walking down the hallways. What I heard made me shudder in horror.

Girls were moaning in pleasure and pain, some were screaming loudly, shouting vulgar things to their partner in the bed. I didn't dare peek into any of the rooms, scared of what I might see. As I approached the end of the hallway, I gasped, seeing the exit. It couldn't be that easy, could it? I looked around then glared, seeing big, buff men standing around, talking. Great, looks like I'd have to do a runner, it would be the only way to get past them all. But what about Iysla? She was taken too. I hope she wasn't too badly hurt. I looked around for anything that could be used as weapon, but sighed when I found nothing. Oh well, legs don't fail me now!

I broke into a run, heading for the exit. The men had all stopped talking and had begun running after me. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, but before I reached the door, I bumped into someone, falling backwards onto my rear end.

"Oh my, I didn't expect to run into you here, Miss Alyssa." said a familiar voice and I looked up, a smile forming on my face. It was Mr Heathcrife! His daughter Beatrice wasn't here, but that was to be expected. The men had suddenly backed off, leaving me alone. Mr Heathcrife chuckled, bending down and offering me a hand up. I accepted his hand, letting him pull me to my feet.

"Though I must ask, what are you doing here, Your Majesty?" Mr Heathcrife asked in a whisper. I sighed.

"It's a long story." I whispered back, seeing him offer me his arm. I looked around, but accepted his arm. He began leading me back the way I'd came. I gave him a confused look.

"I'm going to see the manager of this place. He's been doing a lot of illegal things here and I'm asking him to give up the rights to this place and everything he owns. He owes a lot of money from his scandals" Mr. Heathcrife explained. I felt a sigh leave me. What a relief. For a second I thought he was going to try and return me.

As we walked up the stairs, heading to the main room, Mr. Heathcrife put his jacket over my shoulders, helping me hide myself a little. He led me upstairs, opening the door. The old man and the buff man that had grabbed me looked shocked upon seeing me. I stepped closer to Mr. Heathcrife, looking at them fearfully.

"I demand you hand over the rights to this casino immediately, Hendrick. Your scamming cannot go on any longer!" Mr. Heathcrife demanded, placing a piece of paper down on the table with a slam. Hendrick looked at the paper then laughed, tossing his head to the side.

"You're up to your neck in debts from your scandals! How can you simply laugh?" Mr Heathcrife demanded, and Hendrick turned to smile at us cunningly.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, my good friend. And besides, you've stolen something that belongs to me." Hendrick stated and I gulped, jumping in shock. Mr. Heathcrife stepped in front of me protectively.

"I know this young woman, quite well, so I know for a fact that she doesn't belong to you. You're the one that stole her!" Mr. Heathcrife explained, making Hendrick laugh. His laugh echoed the room. He then glared at us menacingly.

"Get them, Guff." he commanded and the big buff man stepped forward. I gasped, stepping back as Mr. Heathcrife did the same. Guff chuckled, cracking his knuckles. Mr. Heathcrife stepped back again, pressing me between his back and the door. I felt a little squashed, but I felt a little safe.

"We need to run… now!" Mr. Heathcrife yelled, grabbing my wrist and pulling me out the room as he threw the door open, making us run down the stairs as quickly as we could. Guff wasn't far behind us. I looked back to see how close he was, then stumbled. My hand slipped out of Mr. Heathcrife's and I fell onto the floor. I let out a shriek as I hit the ground hard. Mr. Heathcrife didn't continue running, instead he turned to look for me when my hand left his. He gasped, seeing me being picked up roughly by Guff. I thrashed about, trying to get out of his arms. Suddenly I froze, feeling a terrible, splitting pain go through my chest. I struggled to control my breathing.

"Alyssa!" Mr. Heathcrife shouted, looking at us worriedly. Guff chuckled, noticing how quiet and still I'd gotten.

"Cat got your tongue now? You were pretty easy to break" Guff stated, laughing when suddenly a yell caught our attention. I glanced up, seeing a sight for sore eyes.

"Kazumi!" shouted Conrart as he dashed forward, his sword unsheathed. I felt a weak smile form on my face as tears began stinging my eyes.

"Conrart!" I yelled back, making Guff jump in surprise. I used that as my chance and bit hard into his arm. He yelled in agony, thrashing his arm around as my teeth sunk deeper into his flesh. I was beginning to taste the blood, and it tasted awful. My jaw hurt from how hard he was thrashing his arm around, but I finally let go and was sent flying, smack, into the ground. I felt the wind leave me upon impact, and the ripping feeling in my chest happen again. Conrart yelled in anger, having arrived where we were, and pointed the sword at Guff's throat. The glare on his face was menacing, almost demonic.

"Touch her again and you're a dead man" Conrart threatened, making Guff growl, backing away and back into the main room where Hendrick was.

"Are you alright?" asked a familiar voice and as I managed to pull myself up onto my hands and knees, I looked up to see Iysla looking down at me worriedly.

"Iysla, thank goodness you're alright… Did you run into Conrart?" I asked, feeling a little dizzy. Iysla giggled, grabbing my shoulders and helping me sit up. I held my head in my hand when the world began spinning a bit.

"You worry about others while you're hurt yourself?" Iysla asked, giggling. I giggled a little myself. Just as I'd gotten my bearings back, I was suddenly hugged with extreme force. I struggled to balance myself and looked shocked when I realized it was Conrart who was hugging me tightly. He had one arm wrapped tightly around my back and arms, the other cradling my head, pushing it into his neck and shoulder. He was kneeling, shaking a little.

"Thank goodness… You're safe… I was scared they might have done something to you…" Conrart stated, even his voice shaking. Mr. Heathcrife chuckled, kneeling by Iysla.

"Seems your fiancé cares about you now more than ever." Mr. Heathcrife teased and I felt my cheeks heat up. Iysla looked at us in confusion.

"Fiance? I thought you guys were husband and wife?" she asked and I chuckled.

"W-Well… we're just engaged, kinda accidentally, actually, dating is a better word for it… the engagement thing's more a title than anything" I explained, hearing Iysla crack up into laughter. I smiled, glad to see her happy.

"Well I'll be! Even more people here to steal my possessions!" Hendrick stated and I gasped, growling as my eyes met him. Conrart let me go, hearing my growl. He glared up where I was looking and went to unsheathe his sword. I stood suddenly, my anger beginning to flow through my veins. I had noticed all the bruises on Iysla, and my own wounds were aching so badly. Mr. Heathcrife looked at me in amazement, seeing the look in my eyes.

"You!" I snarled, seeing him chuckle.

"Me, what?" he taunted. I felt a new wave of anger flow through me. I felt energy run through my veins, my eyes stinging as they began to change. I felt my canines sting as they became sharper. Conrart looked at me worriedly.

"We're in the human lands… How many of the elements will obey you?" Conrart asked in a whisper. My vision began to tinge in black and white, my hair began dancing and changed to its pitch-black colour. The contacts dissolved away, revealing my black eyes. Hendrick gasped, looking shocked.

"I don't believe it! A double black! Capture her, men! I want her as mine!" Hendrick shouted. Men from all over the building ran at us, but as I growled once, a shockwave all sent them flying onto the ground, unconscious. Hendrick laughed in delight.

"A truly wondrous day! A powerful, beautiful double black! All mine!" he cackled, reaching for a weapon behind his back, but the creature of water I'd made was quicker. It wrapped around him, coiling and drowning him. As his eyes found mine, wide in fear, all he saw were cold, heartless eyes piercing back at him. When I'd decided he'd had enough, I made the monster drop him. He fell down with a thud with the water, coughing and hacking to catch his breath. As he looked around, trying to find an escape, all the girls that worked as prostitutes and Mr. Heathcrife surrounded him.

"I don't think so, my good friend. You're going to pay and answer for your crimes!" Mr. Heathcrife stated. I began to relax, but before I reverted back to normal, I turned to look at Iysla. Instead of looking at me in fear, she was looking at me in awe. She stepped closer, a bright smile on her face.

"So this is the Demon Queen? How beautiful… She truly is like the light of destiny, the beaming light of hope I heard so much about you as a child." Iysla stated, making a smile form on my face. I held out a hand, waving it front of her and she blinked, gasping as all her bruises disappeared from sight.

"Y-You… healed me?" she asked in disbelief, earning another smile from me before my vision faded. My eyes closed and the glowing light faded, making me collapse backwards. I was caught in strong arms, held tightly.

"You're not afraid?" Conrart asked, holding me tightly to his chest. Iysla shook her head, smiling gently at the two of us.

"No, not at all… take care of her, so many others can witness her shining light, okay?" Iysla asked. Conrart blinked for a few seconds, but smiled, hugging me closer as he nodded.

"Of course I will. And I'm sure Queen Kazumi will welcome you any time to the Great Demon Kingdom. You'll find better work there anyway." Conrart stated, making Iysla giggle happily.

"I'd like that!" she stated, smiling as tears stung her eyes.

I stretched my arms up, sighing contently as our boat left the dock, heading back for the Great Demon Kingdom. Conrart was chasing Greta around the ship, laughing as she managed to jump away from him at the last second.

"So, how're your injuries going?" asked a voice and I jumped, turning to see Hisako smiling at me.

"Don't scare me like that…" I muttered, hearing her giggle innocently. I looked down at my chest then felt my eye lid. After the incident at the casino, we'd arrived back at the inn to find all my injuries were healed, completely healed, as if they hadn't existed to begin with. Conrart speculated it was my own healing power that I used on Iysla that had healed my own wounds too. At least we were on our way back home now.

"All gone! I feel even better than before" I replied, earning a chuckle from her.

"I thought so. That hot spring really is legendary, isn't it?" Hisako asked. I nodded then turned to look at her.

"Wait… you never went in with us… What did you and Wolfram get up to anyway?" I asked, seeing her smile innocently at me. Suspicious.

"Nothing at all." she replied, sounding cute and innocent, but I could sense the hidden intent. She was being sneaky again.


	5. Choking Prophecy

**HeartlesslyAwesome- I LOVE that little bit you added, it was perfect and suited the mood so much! Thank you!**

Chapter 5

Choking Prophecy

**Kazumi**

"Uncle Yuri! We're back!" Greta shouted, running up to Yuri and hugging him tightly. I smiled, walking alongside Conrart as we approached them. Yuri chuckled, kneeling down and giving her a big hug.

"I can see that! Did you have fun?" Yuri asked and Greta pulled away, giving a big nod to him. I giggled, glad to see her so happy. Yuri looked up at us, a small smile on his face.

"What about the two of you? Did you have fun?" he asked and I nodded, walking to Greta and putting my hands on her shoulders. She looked up at me, giggling. Conrart smiled from where he stood, letting out a content sigh.

"I think we're just glad to be back home, honestly." Conrart replied, making Yuri blink at him curiously.

"Enough of that! We need to go seal that lake, remember!" Hisako suddenly exclaimed from behind me, making me yelp in fright. When I'd recovered, I sighed in relief.

"Hisako! Don't scare me like that! And why won't you tell me what you and Wolfram were up to?" I asked, pouting at her. She giggled and began skipping back into the Tomb of the Great One. I sighed, walking after her.

Eventually we were all gathered into the Tomb of the Great One. Ulrike stood beside Hisako and Murata. Both of them wore incredibly serious expressions. I gulped, holding Greta's hand tighter. She glanced up at me and gave me a comforting smile.

"We've found the lake that has a crack. Ulrike meditated for days to find out its location. It's in the lake called Dragon's Mouth, east of the Great Demon Kingdom." Murata explained. I was already afraid of the name of the location. Dragon's Mouth? Did that mean there were dragons in that lake or something? I turned to look at Conrart, seeing him smiling down at me in a supporting way. I gave him a sheepish smile back.

"Now Kazumi, remember, if you fail, it's not the end of the world. The crack won't get any bigger or break, I hope… I'm pretty sure it'll just remain as if nothing happened" Hisako tried to reassure, but I just felt my stomach drop. She hoped? She was pretty sure? That wasn't reassuring! Conrart's hand rested on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. That made me feel a little better, I guess.

"Anyway, we need to get there immediately. That hole needs to be sealed, immediately" Murata declared, practically chasing us out the Tomb of the Great One.

"We need to be prepared for this… Greta shouldn't be there either…" Wolfram stated, looking down at Greta.

"I agree…" Yuri added, smiling at Greta as she clung to his hand.

"Well then, Wolfram? Can I trust Greta's care to you?" Conrart asked, making Wolfram stutter, blushing a little from embarrassment.

"O-Of course! I can look after a simple child! Even if she is your child, Lord Weller…" Wolfram muttered, looking away. I giggled, seeing Hisako stifling her own laughter.

"Very well, Wolfram, take Greta back to the castle and inform Gwendal of the situation, please?" I asked, seeing Wolfram blush and look away.

"Fine…" Wolfram muttered, offering Greta his hand. Greta giggled, accepting and walked off with Wolfram.

"Oh, and take the luggage with you, Wolfram!" Murata yelled after him. Wolfram stopped, turning to look at him in disbelief.

"A-All of it?" he exclaimed, looking shocked. Murata merely chuckled as all of us tried to hold back our own laughter.

"Uncle Wolf! Your face looks funny!" Greta stated, laughing hysterically. I smiled, seeing them disappear into the distance.

"Alright, let's get going to Dragon's Mouth. Luckily it's not too far away… Ulrike, you've already gained permission from the Great One to exit the Tomb, can you come along with all the preparations?" Murata asked. Ulrike nodded, holding a pile of cloth. Soon we were all inside a carriage, heading to Dragon's Mouth Lake.

By the time we arrived, I was as fidgety as a squirrel looking for an acorn. I stepped out the carriage, almost falling on my face in the process. I wandered forward a little, letting everyone else come out the carriage. Yuri, Conrart, Murata, Hisako and Ulrike stepped out. I was getting even more nervous. When we reached the edge of the lake we gasped, seeing the water was almost black. I covered my mouth with my hand, trembling.

"The water… It looks like it's dying…" I whispered, still trembling in fear.

"It is… the power of the Originators is that strong and deadly. It brings out the darkest in people, making them realize their deepest, inner, evil thoughts. It then hypnotizes them into trying to achieve those goals. Pretty much the Originators are the darkness in everyone's hearts." Murata explained, stepping beside me. I turned to look at him, almost pleading for another solution.

"Alrighty, you're going in, Kazumi!" Hisako stated, trying to sound happy to lighten the mood. I turned to look at her, trying to stop the shaking in my shoulders.

"Your Majesty, it'll be fine. You just need to seal it back up, it won't contaminate you." Ulrike reassured, stepping in front of me and taking my hands gently in hers. She closed her eyes, holding them tightly. I began to feel a warm, tingling sensation in the tips of my fingers, and I began to relax. She opened her eyes, letting my hands go.

"Thanks Ulrike… Yuri, you'll be on standby, right?" I asked, turning to face him. Yuri nodded, his expression serious. I nodded back at him, turning to finally look at Conrart. He looked like he was ready to jump in with me, but was restraining himself.

"Conrart… I'll be back" I stated, making him smile at me. I flashed a smile back, then turned to face the dark water, but as I did, a hand grabbed my arm and spun me around. I landed on a hard chest and immediately knew I was wrapped up in Conrart's arms. "Conrart?"

"Be safe." He said. I could hear the sincerity and worry in his voice. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his waist, squeezing him back reassuringly.

"I will." He loosened his grip and stepped back. He looked down at me before giving me a gentle kiss.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

I let go of him and turned around to face the dark water again. I inhaled deeply, lifting my arms as if I were walking on a tightrope. I lowered them slowly, exhaling and began to walk into the cold, black water. I immediately felt that all the life had been sucked out the water. I forced away any fear that I felt crawling in me, and continued walking. Eventually I was up to my chin.

"You're going to have to swim down now" Murata instructed. I took a deep breath, then dived down into the water. I managed to open my eyes, swimming down, deeper and deeper to the lake's floor. When I reached the floor, I almost let out the air in my mouth in shock. I managed to clamp my mouth shut before any air escaped. There was an enormous crack in the lake floor and this terrible looking black mist hand was trying to escape out the crack. I floated back, trying to backtrack, but stopped myself.

I closed my eyes, beginning to focus my magic into my hands. I formed a barrier over the crack and started to compress it down. There was a giant roar from the hand as it thrashed around, trying to break the barrier I had just formed. I frowned, trying desperately to focus and hold it back. It was so strong; I was barely managing. The ground shook violently and I almost lost my footing on the lake floor.

Come on, I had to do this! I had to seal it up! I couldn't fail now! Oh no, my air's running low. Just as I thought this, I managed to compress the hand down further into the crack. I smiled in triumph, compressing the final bits. I internally sighed, quickly sealing it up. Just as I pushed myself up off the lake floor to head to the water's surface, the crack suddenly split open again and the hand shot out at lightning speed. I gasped, letting some of the air I had been holding go. I didn't even have time to cover my mouth; the hand suddenly stabbed itself into my torso. I tried to scream, but all I inhaled was water. My eyes widened and I began to lose consciousness.

**Hisako**

As we stood there and waited, I took a quick look at the watch around my wrist. She has been under water for quite a while. Even I didn't know of anyone who could hold their breath for that long. Just as I began to feel worried, Yuri suddenly gasped loudly. It sounded almost like he began choking, but was also gagging, sounding like he was trying to cough something up out of his lungs. He fell to his knees, clutching his throat as he continued coughing.

"Something's gone wrong… terribly wrong…" Murata stated, making me gasp and look at him.

"Yuri!" Conrart called out, kneeling by him and patting Yuri's back. Yuri didn't end up recovering. Instead, he continued coughing violently until his eyes rolled up and he slumped into Conrart's arms unconscious. I turned to look at the lake, gritting my teeth in worry. I shook my head to rid myself of the thought that had worked its way up, but stopped, glaring at the lake. I turned to look back at Yuri and Conrart, seeing the worry on his face.

"Murata, look after everyone!" I called out, working up all my courage and running into the water. I dived in when I was deep enough. I began to hear the loud roaring and rumbling, but managed to work my way down to the lake floor. I gasped, seeing a giant black hand sneaking out the crack. It looked like it was curled into a fist. I looked around desperately for Kazumi, but failed to see her. Just when I was about to give up and go the surface, I spotted something in the giant fist. It was Kazumi! She was being held by it and was definitely unconscious. I swam up to the hand and grabbed her arm. I pulled as hard as I could, trying to pull her out of its grip. Just when I'd managed to get her out, the hand retaliated by grabbing us both. I struggled to hold back a scream as the pain rushed through me, but I managed to keep the air in my lungs. My vision faded to brilliant white.

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I was greeted with was red flames burning everything in sight. A scream caught my attention, making me turn to look and see towns people running and cowering in fear. Monsters made of black, clad in armor, stomped through the grounds, terrorizing the people. I could see a few burial grounds and hanging grounds, and what made me really stop in fright was seeing who were being hung and who had been staked. Murata, Greta, Gwendal and Yozak had been hung, while Conrart, Wolfram, Lady Celi and everyone else, including myself, had been staked. I turned my head again to see the scenery change. The throne room had become dark and blood stained. And on that very throne sat Kazumi. She looked different. Her eyes were narrower and she looked more mature in appearance. That may have been Kazumi's body, but it definitely wasn't Kazumi sitting on that throne. And standing in front of the throne, sword in hand, stood Yuri. He was dressed similar to a knight. His hair had grown a little and he looked a little older, but he looked like he was dead set on killing her. I saw him raise his sword, declaring something that I couldn't seem to hear, then saw him charge at Kazumi who simply sat there, smirking. I tried to scream out for Yuri to stop, but my vision faded again.

I was suddenly back at the lake floor, being held by the hand. I turned to look at Kazumi, seeing she was looking really bad. I struggled and wriggled, managing to break free. But before I could manage to grab her and pull her away, the hand suddenly shot back into the crack, taking Kazumi with it as it sealed up. I gasped, covering my mouth quickly. No! It'd just taken my best friend! This couldn't be happening! It couldn't be! Just as I felt like screaming out her name, I realized I was under water. I pushed myself back up, gasping for air when I reached the surface. I looked around desperately, finding where they were and swam back to shore. When I reached the land, I fell to my knees, stifling sobs.

"Hisako?" Ulrike asked, tilting her head in concern. I raised my hands, trying to wipe at my eyes.

"Kazumi… She… She was taken… but the Originators… and pulled in… It sealed over… I couldn't save her…" I sobbed, wiping at the tears that had begun flowing down my face. I hiccupped a few times, gritting my teeth to try not to full on sob. Murata's eyes softened as he knelt down, taking off his black and gold jacket, putting it over my shoulders.

"No…" Conrart whispered, holding Yuri's shoulders tightly. His hands were shaking.

"I'm so sorry… I couldn't do anything! N-Now what I saw will come true!" I apologized, feeling Murata put an arm around my shoulder. I turned, giving him a weak smile.

"See? What did you see?" Conrart asked then looked down when he felt Yuri stir. Yuri opened his eyes, pulling away from Conrart's hold on him.

"If she saw what I saw… then she saw total destruction… Everything was burning, the originator soldiers were terrorizing people and I sat on the throne while Yuri stood ready to kill me. Everyone else had either been hung or staked" Yuri explained. I blinked in confusion at Yuri's unusual referencing. Conrart also looked confused.

"Yuri?" Conrart asked. Yuri blinked, looking up at Conrart in confusion, and that's when I gasped, seeing it. Yuri's eyes were clouded over, a pale grey instead of their usual black. I covered my mouth in shock, my body trembling.

"I don't believe it… Kazumi?" I asked in a barely audible whisper. Murata heard and gasped, looking at Yuri in disbelief.

"I don't believe it… Somehow Kazumi's ended up sharing Yuri's body with him… It must've happened when her body got snatched by the Originators…" Murata stated, his eyes wide in shock. Yuri's eyes widened at the explanation, then he looked down at his hands. He gasped, standing suddenly and looking at his legs, then at his chest. He blinked, stunned, then rushed to the water's edge, peering at his reflection.

"I-I don't believe it! I'm in Yuri's body! H-How did this happen? W-Where's Yuri?" Yuri exclaimed, sounding worried and scared. He looked left then right, then back at his hands.

"Yuri… If you're in this body, please answer me!" he pleaded, closing his eyes tightly. After a few seconds, he gasped, a small smile on his face.

"Oh thank goodness… You're in here too… I was so scared…" Yuri stated, sounding relieved. Well, I should probably say Kazumi, seeing as it was her soul that was in charge at the moment.

"Um, yeah… we should probably switch back now. It's your rightful body after all." Kazumi stated, closing her eyes. When they opened, they were back to normal. Yuri put a hand over his heart, sighing in relief.

"Well, looks like there's not much more we can do here… We'd best return to the castle and inform everyone of what's happened" Murata explained, helping me stand. I managed a weak smile, then walked to Yuri, hugging him. Yuri tensed, not sure what to do.

"I'm not hugging you, Yuri, I'm hugging Kazumi." I explained. Yuri relaxed, then pulled away from the hug. He chuckled.

"Kazumi says you shouldn't blame yourself. You tried your best. I can't help but feel like a messenger owl or pigeon…" Yuri explained, muttering the last bit to himself. I giggled, turning to begin walking off with the others. Ulrike stood right by my side. But something that caught my eye was Conrart's expression. He looked a little tortured. Can't say I blame him, the poor guy.


	6. Discerning Situations

**Yuuri**

It was weird, hearing my sister randomly talk in my head. How was I going to be able to explain this one to Mum? She'd freak, majorly.

"_You got that right. Mum's gonna flip."_

Yeah, that's Kazumi, speaking in my head, and reading my thoughts. I'm beginning to get a little sick of this, I can't think anything mean about anyone, or even think like a boy, without her knowing. But then again, the same goes for her. She can't go on thinking about Conrart anymore without grossing me out. Yet again, that hasn't stopped her yet.

"Yuri, Kazumi" greeted Murata as he approached us. I turned, nodding. Murata chuckled, lightly patting me on the back.

"Cheer up, man. It's not like you two are going to be stuck like that forever!" Murata reassured. I gulped; sweat forming on the back of my neck. What if we were going to be stuck like this forever? I would never be able to fall in love, get married or live a decent life cause I'd be classed as clinically insane! And Kazumi would never get to properly live the rest of her life! Murata seemed to notice my panic.

"You okay, man? You look freaked out," he asked, tilting his head.

"_Would you get a grip, Yuri! All we need to do is get my body back from the Originators, that's all!"_

I winced from the shouting she'd just done, despite the fact I hadn't actually heard it through my ears, and no one else had heard it.

"Kazumi yelling at you again?" Murata asked, chuckling.

"Yeah… she's been doing that a lot lately…" I said, rubbing the back of my head, a headache beginning to form.

"You tell him, Kazumi! He needs to be knocked down a few pegs." Murata cheered, making me glare at him.

"How are we friends again?" I asked, hearing him chuckle almost sneakily.

"Who said we were friends?" he teased, narrowing his eyes at me in an evil way. I flinched away from him as I also heard Kazumi freak out. Murata then smiled happily as if nothing had happened.

"Oh, by the way, you haven't by any chance seen Hisako, have you? We need to figure out how to get Kazumi's body back." Murata asked. I blinked, shaking my head.

"No, we haven't… But we'll keep our eyes open" I responded, seeing Murata nod and walk off. I turned, walking the opposite way. When I went past rooms that had the doors open, Kazumi pestered me until I walked in to check to see if Hisako was there. I couldn't see her at all, and I'd checked the entire hallway. As I entered the next hallway, I spotted one of the rooms that had the door cracked slightly open. I walked past when Kazumi suddenly commanded me to stop.

"What? Why?" I asked, stopping when I heard heavy breathing. I peered in slightly, gasping when I saw Hisako kneeling on the floor, holding a knife, pointed towards herself. I froze, unable to do anything. What could I do?

"_Quick! Switch! Now!"_

I closed my eyes quickly, letting Kazumi take over so she could save her best friend.

**Kazumi**

When I opened my eyes, I quickly dashed into the room, reaching out for the knife. Hisako heard the noise and instinctively moved to stab the knife into her neck. Though before it managed to slice her neck, I wrapped my hand around the blade, and yanked it out of her hands. She gasped, looking up at me with a shocked, tear stained face. I winced from the pain shooting through my left hand and tossed the knife away. Blood began pouring out, but I didn't pay it any heed. I grabbed Hisako's shoulders, making her face me.

"What were you thinking? You're too needed! You can't die!" I yelled, hearing Yuri cuss at me for getting his hand hurt. But after that he began freaking out about how Hisako had just tried to kill herself.

"Yuri calm down! For God's sake!" I shouted, knowing no one else could hear him, but I said it regardless. Hisako blinked at me, confusion and shock on her face.

"W-Why? I-I'm not needed… Why did you stop me, Kazumi?" Hisako pleaded, tears streaming down her face. I growled, glaring at her.

"Idiot! You're my best friend, Hisako! I need you no matter what! I don't blame you for what happened. I never did and I never will. It was just my bad luck, now come on, Murata needs your help." I answered, hugging her tightly to me. Hisako stiffened in the hug then relaxed a little.

"Yeah… you're right…" Hisako replied, sounding calmer. She pulled away from my arms and gave me a weak smile. I smiled back, reaching my right hand into my pocket, pulling out a handkerchief. Hisako shook her head, grabbing the handkerchief off me and began bandaging my left hand. I ad completely forgotten about it, but now it was stinging like hell.

"You'd better change your top too, it's kinda covered in blood." I stated, making Hisako giggle a little. That's better, that's the Hisako I love. She stood, pulling me up too and kicking the knife under the bed to hide it.

"Let's get your hand seen to!" she cheered. I laughed, wincing when she accidentally touched the wound.

"I can go see Gisela, you go change your shirt." I replied, exiting the room and continuing down the hallway. I walked down the stairs, heading to the infirmary

"Yuri?" asked Conrart who'd conveniently stepped out the Infirmary just as I approached it. His face grew more solemn when he saw my eyes, seeing I was in control, but then gasped when he saw my hand that was bandaged up in a handkerchief.

"What on earth happened?" he asked, looking concerned. I giggled, rubbing the back of my head nervously.

"I had a mishap with a knife… it's alright though. Hisako did what she could, now I'm gonna go see Gisela" I replied, stepping past him and into the room. Conrart didn't follow me for some reason, and after I'd gotten my hand healed and stepped out, he was still standing there, waiting for me.

"Conrart? Are you alright? You've been acting funny since we came back…" I asked, tilting my head curiously at me. Conrart's eyes looked a little duller than they normally were, and he looked at the ground to avoid eye contact. This stung a little as I drew back, realizing I must've been making him uncomfortable.

"Sorry… I-It must be awkward for you…" I stuttered as an apology, taking another step back, turning to leave.

"I-I'll just leave you alone for now… Sorry…" I stated, turning to walk away when Conrart dashed forward, hugging me from behind. I froze, not sure what to do.

"It's not that… It's just… I don't know what to do… When you were in your own body, I could hug you as much as I wanted and nothing was of consequence… now that you're stuck in your brother's body, I can't hug you properly, I can't kiss you, heck I can't even hold hands with you without being looked at awkwardly. It's sad, and I don't know what to do…" Conrart explained. I relaxed in his hold, resting my hands on his arms.

"It's alright… we'll get my body back in no time, and then everything will go back to how it was before, I promise you Conrart." I reassured, leaning back into his hold. Conrart sighed, resting his chin on my forehead.

"Sorry, Yuri, if this is making you uncomfortable" Conrart apologized, smiling down at me as I smiled back at him.

"Don't apologize like that, it makes me look bad!" I reprimanded, hearing Conrart chuckle.

"_Damn right this is making me uncomfortable! This isn't supposed to be a lovey-dovey hug, it should be a manly, brotherly hug, otherwise people are gonna figure it out!"_

Damn, he had a point... People weren't supposed to be finding out that I was stuck in my brother's body.

"Come on Conrart, you gotta let me go." I stated, feeling him hesitantly let me go. I turned around, flashing a smile at him, then began walking off when Gunter's loud voice brought everyone to a halt.

"Oh, it's terrible! It's terrible! Your Excellency! Your Excellency!" Gunter shouted, running to me and Conrart.

"What is it Gunter? What's wrong?" I asked, slightly alarmed and turned to face him.

"What on earth is the matter?" Conrart asked, also facing him. Gunter approached us, panted a little to catch his breath, and then pointed out the window near us. I turned to look and gasped, rushing to the window, peering out it.

"What in the name of-?" I exclaimed, looking horrified as I saw the giant forest near the Dragon's Mouth Lake was in flames.

"What's being done about this Gunter? Have the soldiers gone to extinguish the flames?" Conrart asked, his military mode kicking in.

"N-Not yet! Should they?" Gunter asked, sounding taken aback. I turned, seeing them both looking at me.

"Your Majesty, what should we do?" Conrart asked, his expression looking dead serious. I pondered for a few seconds, looking out at the fire to see it was very close to our border town. I turned to look back at them.

"Send them, send whoever is available! I want that fire stopped! It's not to touch that town!" I ordered. Both Gunter and Conrart saluted, then quickly ran off to go command the armies. I turned back, looking out at the fire.

"_This is terrible… Who could've done such a thing?"_

"I'm not sure, Yuri… But… it looks too much like the vision I saw… I think, this wasn't done by anyone, but by the Originators…" I stated, hearing Yuri gasp.

"_Are you serious? I don't want to kill you! And I don't want to see everyone else killed!"_

"I don't either… but I think this is the beginning of it… We'd best watch ourselves" I replied, hearing Yuri agree with me.

"Kazumi! Yuri!" Wolfram shouted, running to me then gasped at the sight out the window.

"So it is true! Brother Gwendal, Lord Weller, Yozak and Gunter have gone out the armies to go battle the fire! They ended up taking almost all the troops with them!" Wolfram reported, looking at me in panic. I gave him a calm look.

"Yeah, I know. I told them to take everyone who was available." I stated, hearing Wolfram gasp.

"But what if we're attacked? We'd be defenseless!" Wolfram asked, getting even more panicked. I raised a brow, then gasped, looking out the window again. I could see a mass of black dots moving through the forest.

"Wolfram, has Anissina created any devices to see further into the distance?" I asked, hearing him jump back in shock.

"W-What? Anissina? How could you be asking for her devices now?" Wolfram exclaimed, looking mortified.

"I need something to see further ahead, binoculars or something!" I demanded, seeing Wolfram look confused.

"Fear not! I have just what you need! Here's my latest device! See Further Ahead Magic Device! It will allow you to see way further into the distance!" Anissina suddenly announced, standing there with some binoculars. I gasped, smiling at her as I grabbed the binoculars.

"Anissina, you're the best!" I exclaimed, using them to look ahead into the distance.

"I knew that already, but thank you, Your Excellency!" Anissina stated, sticking her head up in pride. I looked ahead at the black dots and gasped, seeing them in crystal clear quality. They were black soldiers. They wore full on armor all over their body, coloured completely in black. Some had spears, some had swords, and some even had giant spiked maces.

"Oh no… oh no! Oh no! No!" I shouted, backing away from the window in fright.

"_Those are the soldiers from your vision! We're gonna die! Damn it! Why did we send Conrad and the others away?"_

"Calm down…" I stated, lowering the binoculars. I turned to look at them, a serious expression on my face.

"Your Excellency?" Anissina asked, looking confused.

"Calm down, but we're about to be attacked! Almost the entire army is fighting the fire in the forest, so we're pretty much defenseless. We're going to have to hold down the fort!" I explained, hearing Wolfram gasp in shock, grabbing the binoculars off me and peering out the window.

"What about the villagers that live in the capital? They're going to attack them before us!" Wolfram asked, looking almost distraught.

"That's where Anissina comes in." I say to him. I then turn around to face the redhead who was looking at me with a determined expression. "Anissina! I need you to set your devices up around the border of the capital and use them to stop those soldiers! I don't want a single one let in!" I commanded, seeing Anissina salute and rush off to get Dorcascos and other men to help her.

"Your Majesty!" Gisela shouted, running up to me with Murata and Hisako in tow.

"Hisako, those soldiers from the vision are about to arrive on our doorstep. We have to hold down the fort. You two fought the Originators before, I'm going to need you two to come up with a plan on how to defeat them!" I stated. Murata and Hisako gasped, looking shocked.

"A-Are you serious?" Hisako asked, her shoulders trembling. Murata frowned, not liking this situation at all.

"We've got a problem here… You're going to have to go down and get Morgif, that one is a must." Murata stated.

"Will Morgif even work for Yuri? Even with Kazumi's soul in control, it's not the Maoh's body" Hisako asked.

"We have to try… Gisela! Can you get Morgif for me?" I asked, seeing her salute and quickly run off.

"What do we do?" Wolfram asked, not really aimed at anyone in particular.

"For now… we wait until we can make the next move…" Murata stated, glaring out the window.


	7. Frontline

Chapter 7

Frontline

**Kazumi**

"Anissina's devices can't hold them off anymore! What are we going to do?" Wolfram shouted, running into the room we were all gathered in. I stood beside Hisako and Murata, deep in thought.

"_Stop thinking too hard! My brain can't handle it!_"

"Sorry Yuri, but I need to, otherwise we're all going to die…" I whispered under my breath, despite the fact no one had heard Yuri speaking. We had managed to evacuate everyone in the capital so they were all inside the palace. We were currently trying to figure out our best plan of action. I couldn't see any way that we could win through brute force. And the fact that they were part of the Originators meant that reasoning was out of the question.

"Kazumi… We're going to have to retreat. We have limited soldiers and thousands of civilians, we'll never survive unless we run." Hisako stated, looking around at everyone who were gathered in the palace, talking and looking fearful for their lives. I knew she was right, but part of me didn't want to give up so easily. I turned to look at Murata.

"She's right… we'll never survive. Have you sent the message via carrier pigeon to Conrart and the others?" I asked, seeing Murata nod. I nodded back, seeing the look in both of their eyes. I cleared my throat, stepping forward.

"Everyone, if I may have your attention. I am Yuri Shibuya, twin brother of the Monarch. Queen Kazumi isn't here at the moment, so please listen to what I have to say: we're retreating out of the capital to find secure shelter! Though I assure you, we will win the capital back! These soldiers will pay for their sins, and we will win! But for now, due to the lack of soldiers and man power, our only option is to retreat!" I stated, telling a big fat fib. Well, it's true that the body talking was my brother Yuri, but the person actually speaking was their Queen.

Everyone looked at each other for a few seconds before nodding in agreement with me. I began walking, Hisako, Murata and Wolfram following alongside us.

"Anissina! How's it going over there?" I asked, seeing her standing on one of the balconies, ordering the soldiers to pedal faster to send blasts of energy at the enemy. She turned to look at me.

"We're running out of man power! It's only a matter of minutes before they break into the capital! You must use this chance to escape now, Your Excellency!" Anissina reported, saluting to me. I frowned.

"You make sure that you and the soldiers have time to escape too, you're too valuable to lose!" I yelled back, seeing happiness flash on her face for a few seconds. She seemed incredibly touched by my compliment. She nodded before returning to ordering the soldiers like a demonic sports trainer. I turned back to everyone.

"Aright, the remaining soldiers that are here, I want you to lead us to the rear gate! Not a single man, woman or child is to be left behind! I'm taking the lead. Murata, I want you near me. Wolfram, you lead the rear! Make sure not a single person gets left behind! Hisako, you're with him! Everyone else is to begin moving after I start leading the way! Let's move!" I shouted, earning cheers from everyone else. I began running to the exit of the palace, and towards the rear gate of the capital.

"I'm scared, Mummy…" whimpered a child clinging to their mother as they ran behind us. I felt my heart break for the poor kid. They looked no older than three. What an experience for a child of that age to go through. As we continued running, a loud explosion from the front gate caught my attention. Shit! They'd broken through!

"Anissina! Give up on the front gate! Run! Gather all the soldiers and run!" Wolfram yelled from the rear. Anissina nodded, yelling at the soldiers to begin retreating. As I led everyone to the rear gate, I stopped and gasped suddenly when I saw a giant monster. It looked like a giant, feral dog, but it was about the size of a horse. The civilians behind me began screaming in fear.

"Use Morgif! Hurry!" Murata shouted, snapping me out of my daze. I drew Morgif, who was making a ridiculous amount of noise, and pointed him at the monster. The monster gave off an ugly, black aura.

"Yuri!" Wolfram shouted from the rear as he saw the monster faintly. I growled, charging at the monster as it lifted a claw to swipe.

"Soldiers! Take the civilians and go!" I shouted, backing the monster away from the rear gate. I jumped between the monster and the retreating civilians, blocking its path. It growled at me, then swiped its hand down. I lifted Morgif, swinging him at the clawed hand. Morgif yelled, hitting the hand and managing to knock it back.

"Yuri!" Wolfram shouted when he and Hisako got to the rear gate.

"Go! I need to hold this thing back so Anissina and the soldiers can get through! I'm counting on you, Wolfram, to protect the civilians!" I shouted, never breaking eye contact with the monster. Wolfram looked hesitant, then turned, running off with Hisako to catch up to Murata and the civilians. The monster and I just continued staring each other down.

Eventually, I heard the sound of footsteps and knew Anissina and the soldiers were passing through the rear gate. I sighed internally in relief, then began jumping back, hoping to get out the rear gate without breaking eye contact. I knew the moment I broke eye contact, that monster would attack.

"Your Excellency! Please hurry!" Anissina yelled, catching my attention.

"Lower the gate! Now!" I shouted, despite not being out.

"But…" Anissina tried to object, but I cut her off.

"Hurry!" I shouted, hearing the gate begin to close. I backed away slowly, heading to the rear gate as the monster stepped closer to keep the gap the same. I knew the soldiers were on their way too. When I deemed the timing perfect, I broke eye contact, turning and running as fast as my legs could carry me.

"_Hurry!_"

I didn't need Yuri to tell me twice! I ran as quickly as I could to the already half closed gate. The monster had roared and was charging at my retreating figure. I made it to the gate and quickly slid myself across the ground and under the gate just before it smashed down into the earth, stopping the monster from chasing after me. I picked myself up, sighing in relief.

"We must hurry and catch up to the civilians!" Anissina stated, helping me pick myself up off the floor. I nodded, sheathing Morgif and began running to the civilians with the soldiers following behind me.

**Conrart**

We finally arrived at the site fire and began battling against them tirelessly.

"Conrart! Get away from there, hurry!" Gwendal shouted, catching my attention as a burnt tree began tumbling down towards me. I gasped, jumping out of the way and narrowly avoided being hit. I picked myself back up, and began swinging my sword again to try and create enough force to extinguish some of the flames. We'd been here for only a few hours, but we were already exhausted. Nothing seemed to work, not even water magic.

"There's something wrong with this fire… Have you noticed that, Gwendal?" Gunter asked, approaching us. Gwendal nodded, looking worried.

"Hey, it's a carrier pigeon!" Yozak stated, gaining my attention. I lifted my hand, letting the pigeon land on it. I carefully took out the note from the bag around its neck then unfolded it. What I read made me gasp in horror.

"Conrart?" Gunter asked, tilting his head.

"The palace is under attack! The soldiers of the Originators are attacking! They're retreating out the capital!" I stated, hearing and seeing them all become shocked.

"Oh, Your Majesty! Please be safe!" Gunter exclaimed, holding back tears.

"We should leave. The reason they had to abandon the castle was because we took all the troops to fight the fire!" Yozak stated, earning a nod from Gwendal. I nodded as well, rushing to my horse.

"Retreat men! We're regrouping with the villagers just past the capital! The capital has been lost! Hurry!" I yelled, jumping up on my horse and turning it around. The soldiers all turned to face us, nodding in confirmation. We then began charging back as quickly as we could.

**Kazumi**

We had gathered in the woods, huddled and trying to plan our next move. I stood out in an opening, watching the castle as I knew it was being taken over.

"_How on earth did this happen? Covenant Castle…_"

"I don't know… I honestly don't know… But I can tell you one thing: I'm not letting them get away with this." I mumbled back, glaring at the castle. I turned back to look at everyone else. The civilians were huddled over in fear, gathered as close together as they could be and the remaining soldiers were trying to calm them all down. Hisako, Wolfram, Murata and Anissina were also helping, so I took this as my chance. I unsheathed Morgif, looking at him in determination.

"Ready to go give them a pounding and finding out who the ringleader is?" I asked, seeing Morgif smile and groan back at me.

"_You can't be serious! You're gonna rush in on your own? I thought that was something I did!_"

"Well, I guess you've rubbed off on me…" I whispered back, sheathing Morgif and dashing out back towards the castle. I had no idea about the horror I was going to see when I stepped into the castle.

I had eventually managed to sneak in through the closed gate. Luckily, being small in build managed to get me through the hole. I unsheathed Morgif, sneaking my way through the city towards the castle. Another lucky thing was that these soldiers weren't exactly the smartest things in the world, none of them had even spotted me. Morgif tried to make a groaning noise but I quickly stuffed a few fingers over his mouth to shut him up.

"Shush. Keep quiet or we'll get spotted!" I hissed, peeking out to see when the best chance of infiltrating the castle would be.

"_I still say we should turn back and wait for help!_"

"We're just going to scope out the enemy; we're not launching a full on assault. My aim isn't to take back the castle, but see how strong this enemy is." I whispered back to him. This seemed to shut Yuri up, but he was still hesitant.

I saw a soldier pass on and took off, heading to the castle. Getting inside the castle was easy, hardly anybody was guarding the passageways, and by the time I'd made it to the throne room, and I'd already knocked about ten soldiers down. Strange, you'd except the security to be tighter… I opened the door, sword drawn, and stepped inside.

**Conrart**

"There they are! Wolfram! What happened?" I shouted, jumping off my horse and running to them all. Wolfram stood, running to me and suddenly hugged me tightly. I blinked, frozen in surprise, before I put an arm around him.

"I-It's horrible, Conrart! Covenant Castle is lost! We had no choice but to retreat! The Originators attacked and we barely made it out! If Kazumi hadn't held that monster off, we wouldn't have escaped! She barely made it out as well, but we're all here, all unharmed!" Wolfram explained, pulling away from the hug and looking at me sadly. I patted him gently on the head.

"It's alright… Is this everyone from the castle?" I asked, looking around at all the civilians and remaining soldiers that were huddled up, cold and frightened.

"Hey! Has anyone seen Yuri? I can't find him anywhere!" Hisako suddenly exclaimed, running out to us all. Wolfram gasped, looking around.

"She's gone back to the castle… She's not trying to reclaim it or anything, I don't think… she's just gone to find out who our enemy is" Murata stated, stepping forward, pushing his glasses up his nose. Hisako gasped, looking out at to the castle. I felt my veins almost freeze at their words, and I found myself looking out at the castle too.

**Kazumi**

As I stepped inside, I gasped. I almost couldn't believe what I was seeing, and yet I knew it was the truth. It was what I'd seen in my vision, and now it was right in front of me. There, sitting on the throne, was my body! She was in a revealing, black long dress, which had a large split up the side. The dress had see through pink sleeves, which ended in black armbands and a black collar. She still wore the earrings Conrart had given me, and wore black, high-heeled shoes. The look in her eyes was sinister.

"_W-What the!? Kazumi!? What're you doing up there?_"

"I don't know… but I will take my body back! I won't let them do what they want with my rightful body!" I stated, readying my sword. My body smirked, standing from the throne and began walking down the steps to stand on level ground with me. I noticed that she also had a pink, thin, see through shawl wrapped around her arms and behind her back.

"Give me back my body, you bitch!" I snarled, getting Morgif ready. Morgif began woofing something, sounding like he was stating the same thing. My body simply smirked sinisterly and raised a hand silently. I frowned, getting ready to charge when suddenly her hand began to glow. I gasped in shock as a blast was thrown at me and I felt myself screaming. I was blown back a far distance, and when I pulled myself back up to stand, a pulse suddenly drove through me. I froze, wondering what had happened when suddenly it felt like something was trying to come out. It felt like something was trying to rip out of my very soul, it was hard to explain, but the pain was immense. I could hear Yuri screaming loudly in my head, and I'm pretty sure I was doing the same thing too. I was covering my eyes with my hands, Morgif laying on the ground, and soon I was kneeling.

The pain was nauseating, and felt like I should have been bleeding, but nothing was coming out, not out of a wound or my body. The fake me suddenly began laughing as she stepped closer to me, lifting my chin up with her hand. I was forced to look into her narrowed, black eyes.

"You will never win, it'd be better if you just died." she stated, and I gasped, frozen as my eyes began clouding over. Yuri's screams dulled and my vision began to get hazy. Eventually all I saw was black and I felt the ground hit hard. I tried desperately to pull myself back together, but it wasn't to be. Eventually I was completely out of it.


End file.
